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Biophoton Intensity Can Be Considerably Higher Inside Cells Than Outside I

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Biophoton Intensity Can Be Considerably Higher Inside Cells Than Outside I Estimation of the number of biophotons involved in the visual perception of a single- object image: Biophoton intensity can be considerably higher inside cells than outside I. Bókkon1 V. Salari 2,3 J.A. Tuszynski4 I. Antal5 1Doctoral School of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Semmelweis University, Hungary 2Kerman Neuroscience Research Center (KNRC), Kerman, Iran 3Afzal Research Institute, Kerman, Iran 4Department of Physics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2J1, Canada 5Department of Pharmaceutics, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary Corresponding author: I. Bókkon. Contact: [email protected] Abstract Recently, we have proposed a redox molecular hypothesis about the natural biophysical substrate of visual perception and imagery (Bókkon, 2009. BioSystems Bókkon and D'Angiulli, 2009. Bioscience Hypotheses). Namely, the retina transforms external photon signals into electrical signals that are carried to the V1 (striate cortex). Then, V1 retinotopic electrical signals (spike- related electrical signals along classical axonal-dendritic pathways) can be converted into regulated ultraweak bioluminescent photons (biophotons) through redox processes within retinotopic visual neurons that make it possible to create intrinsic biophysical pictures during visual perception and imagery. However, the consensus opinion is to consider biophotons as by-products of cellular metabolism. This paper argues that biophotons are not by-products, other than originating from regulated cellular radical/redox processes. It also shows that the biophoton intensity can be considerably higher inside cells than outside. Our simple calculations, within a level of accuracy, suggest that the real biophoton intensity in retinotopic neurons may be sufficient for creating intrinsic biophysical picture representation of a single- object image during visual perception. Keywords: Neurons, Visual perception, Free radicals, Biophotons Biophysical picture representation, Mitochondria, 1. Introduction The homeothermic state has been suggested to make the development of explicit memory possible and to allow the brain to operate on pictures during informational processing due to the regulated electrical and biophotonic mechanisms [1,2,3]. It was also suggested that the phosphene lights are the result of the intrinsic perception of induced or spontaneous increased biophoton emission in cells in different parts of the visual system [4]. Recently, it was pointed out [5] that not only retinal phosphenes but also the discrete dark noise of rods can be due to the natural lipid oxidation related (free radical) bioluminescent photons in the retina. A redox molecular hypothesis [6,7] has been formulated about the natural biophysical substrate of visual perception and imagery (see Fig.1). 1 Fig. 1. Schematic representation of an intrinsic biophysical mechanism in visual perception (see [5] and [9] for details). Light waves from objects are converted into electrical signals in the retina. Retinotopical electrical signals are conveyed to V1 and converted into biophotons by mitochondrial redox processes in striate visual neurons. This gives an intrinsic computational picture of an object by bioluminescent biophotons in retinotopical V1. This model is limited to a static object. Namely, the retina transforms photon signals from the external world into electrical (redox) signals that are conveyed to the V1 through the optic nerve. This V1 retinotopic electrical (spike-related electrical signals along classical axonal-dendritic pathways) information can be converted into spatio-temporal bioluminescent photon signals by mitochondrial and cellular redox processes that make it possible to generate intrinsic biophysical pictures in retinotopically organized mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase rich (CO-rich) visual areas during visual perception and imagery. In other words, the retinal photonic visual information can be approximately re-created by redox regulated biophotons of mitochondrial networks in visual neurons. However, if it can be demonstrated that perception of cortical phosphene light emission is due to neurocellular biophotons, intrinsic regulated biophotons of retinotopic visual areas can serve as a natural biophysical (redox molecular) substrate for visual perception and imagery. It is noteworthy that Narici et al. [8] have supported the prediction [4, 8] about retinal phosphenes during space travel and stated that this is due to the ionizing radiation induced free radicals and chemiluminescent photons. In other words, ionizing radiation (cosmic 2 particles) induced free radicals can create chemiluminescent photons from retinal lipid peroxidation. Subsequently, photons from retinal lipid peroxidation are absorbed by the photoreceptors, modify the rhodopsin molecules (rhodopsin bleaching) and initiate the photo- transduction cascade resulting in the sensation of phosphene lights. Since retinal and cortical induced phosphenes are required to have a common molecular biophysical basis, the experiment of Narici et al. can be the first step toward proving our biophysical picture hypothesis. It is worth noting that the term “ultraweak biophoton emission” can be misleading, since it suggests that biophotons are not important in cellular processes as mere by-products of cellular metabolism. In the following sections, we point out that biophotons originate from regulated redox/radical processes and the actual biophoton intensity can be fundamentally higher inside cells than outside. According to our rough estimation, at least 108 - 109 biophotons per second can be produced inside retinotopic visual neurons, which may be sufficient to create intrinsic biophysical picture representation during visual perception of a single-object image. 2. Controlled biophoton emission from free radical reactions Free radical production and fundamentally unregulated (stochastic) process of aerobic oxidative metabolism have long been considered to be a health hazard. However, it is now clear that ROS (reactive oxygen species) and RNS (reactive nitrogen species) as well as their derivatives act as essential regulated signals in biological systems [9-12]. Cellular generation of ROS and RNS is vital for redox signaling. ROS-generating enzymes are compartmentalized [13] and strictly controlled at both the genetic and the activity levels [9]. ROS and RNS are produced mostly by the mitochondrial respiratory chain, NADPH oxidases, lipoxygenases, cyclooxygenases, cytochrome P450 oxidases, nitric oxide synthases, etc. [9,10]. ROS and RNS can regulate gene expression, apoptosis, cell growth, cell adhesion, chemotaxis, protein-protein interactions and enzymatic functions, Ca2+ and redox homeostasis, and several other cellular processes [10, 13, 14-18]. There is experimental evidence that ROS and RNS are also essential for normal brain functions and synaptic processes. Free radicals and their derivatives act as signaling molecules in cerebral circulation and are essential in molecular signal processes such as synaptic plasticity, neurotransmitters release, memory formation, hippocampal long-term potentiation, etc. [19 -26]. 3 During natural metabolic processes, in all types of living systems, lasting spontaneous photon emission has been detected without any external excitation [27-35]. Bioluminescent photon emission ranges from a few up to hundreds of photons per second per cm2 within the spectral range of radiation from ultraviolet to near infrared. This ultraweak bioluminescent photon emission is referred to using various terms such as ultraweak photon, dark luminescence, low intensity chemiluminescence, ultraweak electromagnetic light, spontaneous autoluminescence, bioluminescence, biophotons, etc. Biophotons originate from bioluminescent reactions of ROS and RNS and their derivatives, and also from simple cessation of electronically excited states. As examples we may list the mitochondrial respiration chain, lipid peroxidation, peroxisomal reactions, oxidation of catecholamines, oxidation of tyrosine and tryptophan residues in proteins etc. [36-39]. One of the major sources of biophotons is derived from mitochondrial oxidative metabolism (Fig.2) and lipid peroxidation. Fig. 2. Mitochondrial redox reactions are major sources of reactive and excited species. Biophotons originate from excited 1 species. Major biophoton emission is due to the excited electrons of singlet oxygen O2 and carbonyl species RO . When an excited carbonyl or singlet oxygen is released to the ground state, it can give out its energy as a photon (biophoton). Biophotons originate from regulated redox/radical processes, and the actual biophoton intensity can be radically higher inside cells than outside. Since the generation of ROS and RNS is not a random process, but rather a precise mechanism used in cellular signaling pathways, the biophoton emission can also be a regulated process under both physiological and pathophysiological circumstances. In other 4 words, regulated generation of ROS and RNS can lead to regulated biophoton generation in/from various cells during natural oxidative metabolism. Biophotons can be absorbed by natural photosensitive chromophores of cells. For example, the electron transport chains on the inner membrane of mitochondria contain photosensitive chromospheres (flavinic and pyridinic rings, porphyrin ring) [39,40]. Fluorescent lipid chromophores can also act as photo-acceptors formed during regulated lipid peroxidation of membranes [41]. Photosensitive chromophore molecules of cells can transfer
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